Predicting infant neurodevelopmental outcomes using the placenta?

Gerard W O'Keeffe; Louise C Kenny

doi:10.1016/j.molmed.2014.04.005

Predicting infant neurodevelopmental outcomes using the placenta?

Trends Mol Med. 2014 Jun;20(6):303-5. doi: 10.1016/j.molmed.2014.04.005. Epub 2014 May 2.

Authors

Gerard W O'Keeffe¹, Louise C Kenny²

Affiliations

¹ Irish Centre for Fetal and Neonatal Translational Research (INFANT), Cork University Maternity Hospital, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Biosciences Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland. Electronic address: g.okeeffe@ucc.ie.
² Irish Centre for Fetal and Neonatal Translational Research (INFANT), Cork University Maternity Hospital, Cork, Ireland; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Cork University Maternity Hospital, Cork, Ireland. Electronic address: l.kenny@ucc.ie.

PMID: 24794011
DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2014.04.005

Abstract

Identifying those infants most at risk for poor neurodevelopmental outcomes is crucial to allow for targeted surveillance or preventative interventions to be instigated from birth. One intriguing possibility is to use the molecular characteristics of the placenta at birth as a 'molecular barometer' of the in utero experience to predict future infant neurodevelopmental outcomes. Here we highlight the recent advances in the field and discuss the possibilities for an integrated approach across the '-omics' categories.

Keywords: integrated ‘-omics’; neurodevelopment; placenta; screening.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Autistic Disorder / etiology
Child Development*
Developmental Disabilities / etiology*
Female
Humans
Infant
Infant, Small for Gestational Age
Leptin / metabolism
Methylation
Placenta / physiology
Placenta / physiopathology*
Pregnancy

Substances

Leptin